ADAMS, APPELLO ALL’AMERICA IRLANDESE: “SOSTENETE LA RIUNIFICAZIONE”
Adams urges Irish America to support border poll campaign (Sinn Féin)
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams speaking in New York last night urged Irish America to use its considerable influence to “persuade political opinion in America that a United Ireland is in the best strategic interests of the USA.
“We need Irish America to get your new President and Secretary of State and the USA to use your enormous influence with the British government to move them in that direction also.
“And we need Irish America to support the holding of a border poll.”
The Sinn Féin leader also expressed his solidarity with those affected by last weeks super storm.
The Sinn Féin leader thanked the Irish Diaspora “across the USA and internationally, who have remained steadfast, and kept faith with the cause of peace and justice and unity in Ireland” and he appealed for a renewed focus as we “enter a new phase in the struggle for freedom and independence”.
Gerry Adams said:
“Twenty years ago, in 1992, Sinn Féin’s efforts to build a peace process entered a new and critical phase. We did so with the direct help of our friends here in the USA.
“Irish America needs to continue to challenge human rights abuses and campaign on social justice issues, like the wrongful imprisonment of Marian Price and Martin Corey.
“Irish America has also rejected the violent actions of a small, unrepresentative number of groups in Ireland who are intent on blindly using violence.”
The Sinn Féin President added:
“The Good Friday Agreement has created the means by which Irish unity can be achieved democratically and peacefully.
“Irish America needs to persuade political opinion in America that a United Ireland is in the best strategic interests of the USA.
“Irish America needs to get your new President and Secretary of State and the USA to use your enormous influence with the British to move them in that direction also.
“And we need Irish America to support the holding of a border poll.
“This is a live issue at this time and has been given added impetus by the recent decision to hold a referendum in 2014 on Scottish independence.
“The Good Friday Agreement provides for a border poll on Irish unity. Sinn Fein in the new year will commence a campaign to achieve this. That means we need to build momentum and support so that the Irish and British governments are persuaded to hold a border poll.
“We will then have to campaign for a YES vote and to persuade the people of the island of Ireland to support unity and the creation of a new Republic.
“It especially means persuading those, north and south, who don’t want Irish unity that it will be better for them and for their children.
“Irish America has a role to play and a contribution to make in all of this.
The Diaspora must also have a role in the Irish government’s Constitutional Convention.
“Regrettably the Taoiseach is only committed to minimalist reform.
“When I raised this with him, and in particular the right of citizens with Irish passports living abroad to have the vote in presidential elections, he shied away from giving a meaningful role to the diaspora in the Constitutional Convention.
This is not acceptable.
“But Sinn Féin has succeeded in getting votes for Irish passport holders on to the agenda of the convention. So you need to make your voice heard on this.
“This generation of republicans is laying the foundations for a New Republic — a new Ireland with social justice and equality at its core.
“I believe we can achieve that new Ireland, that we can unite all of the people of the island of Ireland, and end past divisions and resolve outstanding differences.”
ends
Adams Is “Detached from Reality” with Border Poll Call (DUP)
North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds has responded to the latest call by Gerry Adams for a border poll to be held.
Mr Dodds said that Gerry Adams was ‘detached from reality’ if he believed that a border poll in Northern Ireland was a key issue for any American. The DUP Deputy Leader also pointed out that were a poll actually to be held that recent evidence shows a strengthening of support for the Union in Northern Ireland.
Mr Dodds said, ‘With Gerry Adams having turned himself into a figure of ridicule within Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland it would seem he is intent on now taking this to the United States of America. In a country less than eight weeks away from a ‘fiscal cliff’ it highlights Adams’ complete detachment from reality that he believes the biggest issue in the minds of Americans must be a border poll and a united Ireland.
Even if by some miracle Gerry Adams were able to persuade Americans that the future of Cork is of greater “strategic interest” to the USA than the future of Chicago or even China, the decision on a border poll would not actually be affected. A border poll can only be called by the Secretary of State when there is likely to be a vote in favour of changing our constitutional status. The DUP is not concerned about the likelihood of such a poll being held, nor are we worried about what the outcome would be.
All recent evidence actually points to a strengthening of support for the maintenance of Northern Ireland’s position within the UK.
The only people who cling to the notion of a border poll are Sinn Fein and a few gullible commentators who claim it would somehow bring stability. The reality is, that in Northern Ireland as in the United States the issues of importance to our citizens is the stability of our economy and the prospects for employment.
Sinn Fein’s focus on a border poll is partly to give increasingly disillusioned republicans some crumb of hope to cling to that the republican ‘project’ is still on track. It is also undoubtedly influenced also because of events in Scotland to which Gerry Adams does refer.
Whether the irony is lost on Adams’ American audience, it is not lost on many others that Scotland might leave the Union without the murder of a single innocent person or the bombing of any town centre. Whilst I am confident the people of Scotland will choose to remain stronger within the Union, it is notable that years of terrorism and bloodshed in Ulster did not deliver the republican dream. Instead the people of Northern Ireland are focused on building a better future, leaving Gerry Adams to peddle his myth to an increasingly weary audience.’
The Five Demands 